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Contact: Lois Robinson, Executive Director
(318) 222-7496
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
AN EVENING WITH THE BLADE FAMILY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8
SHREVEPORT, LA, MARCH 21, 2017 - On
April 8 at the RiverView Theater, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) celebrates the musical and community achievements of the Blade Family, featuring newly-created orchestral arrangements, two generations of Blade Family performers, Brian Blade's Fellowship Band, and "The Hallelujah Train."
"The SSO is committed to reflecting the vibrancy of our community by collaborating with creative artists who have a special connection to Shreveport-Bossier. The Blades are known around the world and are legends here at home. I'm honored to be working with them on what promises to be a real highlight of our season," said Music Director Michael Butterman.
 An Evening with the Blade Family
SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017 - 7:30 PM
RiverView Theater, 600 Clyde Fant Pkwy
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra
Michael Butterman, conductor
Pastor Brady L. Blade, Sr. & The Hallelujah Train
featuring Mrs. Dorothy Blade, Brady Blade, Jr. and the Zion Baptist Church Choir under the direction of Johnny Shepherd Campbell
 Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
Brian Blade, drums
Jon Cowherd, piano
Chris Thomas, bass
Melvin Butler, tenor and soprano saxophone
Myron Walden, alto saxophone and bass clarinet
Tickets are available online at
www.shreveportsymphony.com or by phone at 318-227-8863. Ticket prices range from $20-$65. Student tickets are $12.
A free shuttle service starts at 6:30 PM before each concert. The shuttle picks up at Regions Bank parking garage at the corner of Milam and Market Streets.
The SSO's season sponsor is
Willis-Knighton Health System. The concert sponsor is
Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Funeral Homes, Crematorium & Cemeteries.
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About Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band
Brian Blade was born and raised in Shreveport. The first music he experienced was gospel and songs of praise at the Zion Baptist Church where his father, Brady L. Blade, Sr., has been the pastor for 52 years. In elementary school, music appreciation classes were an important part of his development and at age nine, he began playing the violin. Inspired by his older brother, Brady Blade, Jr., who had been the drummer at Zion Baptist Church, Brian shifted his focus to the drums throughout middle and high school.
During high school, while studying with Dorsey Summerfield, Jr., Blade began listening to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell. By the age of 18, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. From 1988 through 1993, he studied and played with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, including John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee, Jr., Alvin Red Tyler, Tony Dagradi and Harold Battiste.
In 1997, Blade formed The Fellowship Band with pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Chris Thomas, saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker, pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. The Fellowship Band released its debut album, Brian Blade Fellowship, in 1998, Perceptual in 2000, Season of Changes in 2008, and Landmarks in 2014.
While continuing to work with the Fellowship Band, Blade has been a member of Wayne Shorter's quartet since 2000. He has recorded with Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Ellis Marsalis, Marianne Faithfull, Emmylou Harris, Billy Childs, Herbie Hancock, Dorothy Scott and Bob Dylan.
In 2009, Blade released Mama Rosa, his first album as a singer-songwriter, with songs dedicated to his grandmother and family. The album featured Daniel Lanois, vocalists Kelly Jones and Daryl Johnson, bassist Chris Thomas, guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Goffrey Moore, pedal steel guitarists Greg Leisz and Patrick Smith, and pianists Aaron Embry and Jon Cowherd.
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About the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra
Since its founding in 1948, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has become Louisiana's oldest continually operating professional orchestra and one of the most respected regional orchestras in the United States. The SSO's mission is:
To Embrace - to embrace the community we serve and to be embraced by the same community; to broaden the level of supporters and their involvement with the orchestra; to work across the region with various arts organizations through cooperation and partnerships.
To Enlighten - to educate; to enlighten the senses beyond the norm.
To Experience - to provide the unique aesthetic experiences of live orchestral music; to give depth and enriching life; to connect people through music; to foster cultural diversity.
To Excel - to foster artistic, organizational, and financial excellence.
www.shreveportsymphony.com
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